After 26 seasons as one of the most accomplished managers in MLB history, Dusty Baker officially announced his retirement on Thursday.
Shortly after the official announcement, the Giants released a statement to congratulate the man who was a part of their organization for 15 years and managed it for a decade.
“On behalf of the San Francisco Giants, we congratulate Dusty Baker on a remarkable career," Giants President and CEO Larry Baer said in a statement. “Dusty is one of the most beloved Giants alumni, the first manager of our current ownership group, and we are profoundly grateful for his contributions to our organization and the impact that he’s made in the baseball community.
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"We wish him, Melissa, and their entire family all the best as he enters his next chapter.”
Baker's playing career began in Atlanta with the Braves before he took his talents to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he won a World Series in 1981, the Giants and the Oakland Athletics. The two-time All-Star outfielder played 19 seasons in the league before retiring as a player.
But he was far from done with the game for good.
Baker spent five seasons with the Giants as a base/hitting coach before being named the manager of the club in 1993, where he took on that role until 2002. He finished his Giants managerial tenure with an 840-715 regular-season record and an 11-13 postseason record.
San Francisco Giants
The 74-year-old moved on to manage the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and most recently, the Houston Astros, who came one win shy of reaching the World Series for a third consecutive season following their loss to the Texas Rangers on Monday in Game 7 of the ALCS.
His résumé includes 2,183 regular-season wins -- the seventh-most in league history -- while also earning NL Manager of the Year honors in 1993, 1997, and 2000.
"I would first like to say thank you to [Astros owner] Jim Crane and family for giving me this opportunity over the last four years," Baker said at a press conference Thursday. "It has been a tremendous honor to be the leader of this ballclub. Thank you to the fans for their unwavering passion. The amount of love I've received in my time in Houston has been unmatched.
"Thank you to all my players and coaches for their many sacrifices on our multiple pursuits to a World Series title. You all gave me all you had every day, and that's all I can ever ask for. Lastly, I want to say thank you to all my friends and family. I have immense gratitude for all of the love and support you have shown me throughout the years, and I can't say thank you enough. This isn't a goodbye, it's simply a 'see you later.'"